Apparatus for disconnecting pumping apparatus from a beam



Aug. 29, 1939. B. H. RAVANELLI APPARATUS FOR DISCONNECTING PUMPING APPARATUS FROM A BEAM Filed Nov. 17, 1937 INVENTOR. THEA VANELLI.

BEN/v57- ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 29, 1939 PATENT oF icE APPARATUS FOR DISCONNECTING PUMP ING APPARATUS FROM A BEAM Bennett H. Ravanelli, Greggton, Tex., assignor to Oil Well Supply Company, Dallas, Tex., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 1'7, 1937, Serial No. 175,155

4 Claims.

-My-invention relates to mechanism whereby a pumping rod of a deep well pump .such as used for the production of petroleum may be connected to and disconnected from a walking beam with- 5 out stopping the latter.

Heretofore the line of pumping rods extending from a walking beam downwardly to a pump in the bottom of a well has been permanently attached to the beam and, in order to stop the *m pump for any purpose, it has been necessary to stop the walking beam, clamp the line of rods in position and then disconnect the pitman. Inasmuch as the walking beam may be connected to a driving mechanism for a number of 1.3 other well pumps, this necessitates the stopping of the pumps on the entire lease or on all of the wells driven from the single unit until the beam pump can be disconnected. This is a serious disadvantage in many cases because sediment may settle when the flow through the pump system is interrupted. Also, if the disconnected pitman should become loose after the pumping of the other wells is resumed, considerable damage may be caused.

5 These various disadvantages are eliminated by my present invention which permits the line of pumping rods to be supported and disconnected from the walking beam while the latter is in motion, and without stopping it.

The various features of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a side view of the end portion of a walking beam and pumping mechanism depending from it, the latter being shown disconnected from the beam.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation on a larger scale than that of Fig. 1, showing the line of pumping rods in connected relation to the walking beam.

Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are bottom and top plan views, respectively, of a device for supporting the line of pumping rods while being disconnected from the walking beam.

In the accompanying drawing the line of pumping rods is illustrated as suspended from a walking beam l0 having a hanger I I of the type known as a mule head. The mule head II has an are shaped surface centered on the rocking axis of the beam l0, and is provided with a pair of cables I2 and 13 connected in a socket M at the upper end of the mule head and hanging down in a tangent position from the arc shaped surface. The cables l2 and I3 are joined at their lower ends by a yoke 15 through which a hook I6 is 56 secured in adjustable position by nuts I! and i8 on opposite sides of the yoke and threaded into the stem of the hook I6.

The hook I6 is aligned with the casing [9 of the well and with the upper length or polish rod 20 of the pumping line which extends upwardly from the casing through the casing head 2! to a position shortly below the lower end of the hook [6. A clamping head 22 is clamped onto the polish rod 20 and is provided with swinging bail pivoted at its lower end to swing to a position in which it may be engaged and held by the hook l6, as shown in Fig. 2, or swung to the position shown in Fig. 1 to clear the hook I6.

To disconnect the bail 23 from the hook l6 and to support the polish rod and suspended line of pipe, a knockoff element 24 is provided to be inserted between the top of the casing head 2| and the clamping head 22 and to be of such height as to support the clamping head 22 and the line of rods 20 before the latter reach their lowermost position on the downswing of the beam [0. The knockoff 24 has a lower base 25 rounded to fit the upper surface of the casing head 2|. A cylindrical upright 26 extends upwardly from the base 25 and has a slot 21 to receive the polish rod 20 when the knockofi is positioned on the casing head. The upper end of the column may be provided with a rim or supporting head 28 on which the clamping head 22 rests when the knockoff is in position to support the pumping line. The knockofi is provided also with a handle 29 by which it may be grasped to be mounted or removed from the casing head 2|.

In disconnecting the power line the knockoff 24 will be placed on the casing head 2| while the walking beam is swung upwardly and thus with the clamping head 22 at some distance above the top- 28 of the knockoff. The knockoff may thus be positioned on the casing head so as to enclose the polish rod 20. As the walking beam descends, carrying with it the clamping head 22, the latter comes to rest on the upper end of the knockoff and is thus supported together with the pumping line. The bail 23 is then freed from the hook I6 and rapidly falls, or may be pulled sidewise, to clear the latter as in Fig. 1. A handle 30 may be provided on the bail 23 for this purpose.

When it is desired to reconnect the pumping line to the mulehead of the walking beam, it is only necessary to swing the bail 23 to a vertical position while the walking beam is in its lower position and hold it until the upswing of the walking beam causes the hook 16 to engage the upper part of the bail. The continued upper 1. In well pumping apparatus including a walking beam and a pump rod vertically sustained from the end of said walking beam; means to detachably secure the said pump rod to said walking beam, said means comprising a hook member dependingly secured to the end of said walking beam, a bail member pivotally secured on the end of said pump rod and engaging said hook member to dependingly sustain the pump rod therefrom, and means to release the said bail member from the said hook member and to sustain said pump rod in its released position, said means comprising a stop member on said pump rod and a removable support for said pump rod, the said support being adapted to be inserted between the casing head through which the said pump rod reciprocates and the walking beam in a position relative to the said stop member to interrupt the downward movement of the pump rod before the expiration of said movement and to sustain the said pump rod in said interrupted position and means to pivotally swing said bail out of said hook member while the said hook member is completing its downward movement.

2. The combination of claim 1, said means to release and means to support comprising a cylindrical member provided with a slot opening lengthwise the member adapting the member to be positioned about the said pump rod with its lower end resting on the casing head through which the said pump rod reciprocates and a stop member on said pump below said pivotally mounted bail to engage the upper end of said cylindrical member, the length of said tubular member being at least sufficient to provide for the engagement of the said stop member with said cylindrical member before the completion of the downward movement of said pump rod.

3. The combination of claim 1, and means locking the said bail in said hook member when the said movable support is not in position.

4. A well pumping mechanism comprising a casing head, a pumping line extending upwardly through said casing head, a clamping head on said pumping line above said casing head, a bail pivoted on said clamping head, a walking beam,

a hook suspended from said walking beam in alignment with said pumping line and in position to be engaged by said bail, a knockofi means mountable on and removable from the top of said casing head to encircle said pumping line and engage and hold said clamping head before it reaches the lower end of its stroke to permit said bail to swing free from said hook.

BENNETT H. RAVANELLI. 

